Gardening as Therapy on New Year’s Day

I tried gardening as therapy on New Year’s Day. I don’t know about you, but times have been tough of late, and the best way I know to feel better is to get in the garden, which you can do in Southern California in winter! My husband took a rare day from his work to lend me a hand and we got so much done. You know how it is, you get busy and you feel lucky to get seeds in the ground. Much of your mess winds up on the sidelines and you never get around to making things look nicer. When you have a front yard garden, you really do have to make an effort, LOL! That was yesterday. And it did lift my spirits to start the year off with the garden looking more kempt.

Marble angel, salvaged from my old neighbor’s yard, watches over my succulents

Two recent deaths of friends were jolting. My son’s mentor, boss and friend, Mike Giannini, indispensable sustainable cattle rancher at TomKat Ranch, died unexpectedly just before Thanksgiving. Though I’d only met him twice, I mourned for days, for the deepening relationship with my son that might have been and the knowledge yet to be passed on. So much unfinished business.

Our Christmas ski trip had to be cancelled and we flew to Northern California for a memorial service the weekend before Christmas. We went back up by car on Christmas eve so our son, Walker (see him in “Modern Day Cowbow”), wouldn’t have to be alone for Christmas, because the cattle had to be fed and cared for. We saw him in the evenings.

Livestock manager Mike Giannini with Walker Kehrer, June, 2015

Since we were driving up, I took the opportunity to film overwintering Monarch butterflies on the California coast, which will be the subject of my next episode, the Season 4 finale and #80th episode! I have been collecting footage of Monarchs and their life cycle since I started to grow milkweed for them in 2012. I’m very excited about this episode, which I need to be working on right now.

Angela McEwan, the first day we met wearing my favorite color, August, 2013

Another friend, Angela McEwan, who became an actress after she retired from a career as a translator, died the day I returned from Mike’s memorial. Angela found fame late in life in a memorable film role in “Nebraska,” but she lighted up everyone’s life who knew her every day of her life. She was a follower of Late Bloomer before we met. She walked into an industry breakfast in 2013, above, and when she saw me, she squealed, “Late Bloomer!” We became instant friends. When I learned of her death, I checked email and saw that she had read my blog post on Thanksgiving Day and wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. I now recall seeing that email and smiling, but I didn’t reply. Dying of cancer she reached out to me with good cheer, and I didn’t even know she was sick. She truly was a late bloomer. I will sorely miss her.

Another old friend is in I.C.U. Those are just some of the highlights (of the low lights), and I won’t even get into world news. It’s a trying time. At least my holiday cactus performed on cue!

Holiday cactus in bloom

Spending time with friends, gardening and healthy food choices are three things I engage in to keep my spirits up. New Year’s Eve day, I took a walk around the Lake Shrine with my friend Mei Ling. That was so peaceful, and when she suggested it, I knew I should stop whatever I was doing and go. And that really helped. Getting through some of this Monarch footage will help me feel better, too. It’s one day at a time and one step at a time when things seem overwhelming. How do you manage the hard times? Do you use gardening as therapy?

I take my self-appointed role to inspire very seriously, so I’ve been a little quiet here on this blog of late. I promise to dig deep and find ways to inspire in the new year upon us. Thanks so much for your support in 2015!

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Tags: community, cool season, curbside gardening, farming on small scale, flowers, gardening, gardening as therapy, gardening web series, green your world, grief and loss, growing your own vegetables, Kaye Kittrell, Kaye Kittrell Late Bloomer, Late Bloomer, Late Bloomer Episodes, New Year reflections, organic, urban gardening, web series

Category: Community, Garden Musings, Urban Gardening